Wednesday, May 6, 2015

PPS a big spender on programs promoting different expectations for some student groups

Anonymous wrote:

"+new post+ 

When I saw this link I didn't want to open it because I was afraid I would find Pittsburgh Public on the list. THEY WERE ON THE TOP OF THE LIST! What are we doing to our chidren?!!! 

http://eagnews.org/school-districts-spending-millions-on-white-privilege-training-for-employees/ 
"

33 comments:

Anonymous said...


The most surprising thing is that the positions of Power within PPS are held by African Americans.

Advocates for the under-served Black communities advocate culturally-congruent instruction/assessment practices across content areas.

Lines begin to blur. Different expectations begin to foster.

Sometimes advocacy becomes a double edged sword.

Questioner said...

High expectations under Roosevelt/ Lopez have changed to different expectations, which seem a lot like no real expectations at all.

Anonymous said...


The philosophies espoused by (PEG) suggesting ( according to some ) that minority kids are incapable of learning is obscene. PPS investing in such a 'mentality' to the tune of $586,300 over a four year period is an even bigger obscenity.

Anonymous said...

Questioner at 10:27, it is rather incorrect to connect the phrase "high expectations" to the names Roosevelt and Lopez.

Certainly those two (like all the rest of the central administrators) used that phrase all the time. And perhaps on some level they really cared about the concept.

But what good is a fine talking point if there are absolutely no good results associated with it?

Sorry to be so harsh, but the only phrase that can truly be connected to Roosevelt is "no good results".

Anonymous said...


Thank you questioner for posting this article.

Eye opening. Kudos to Juan Williams.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Lots and lots of comments on that web page too.

Anonymous said...

It's very troubling to read about PEG. On first glance, I recall Ms Lane saying "we can't educate kids if they are not in school". Meaning, attendance and tardiness are very important. Will this organization erode this ideal?
Also, how does this affect the retention of white families to make this district desirable for all Pittsburghers or will they shift to an AA, urban district that is exclusionary to whites?
Should I be worried?

Anonymous said...

http://www.aplusschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2014-Advocates-for-AA-Students.pdf

Interesting

Anonymous said...

Brother, you should have been worried long, long, ago.

Anonymous said...

The website source for this story is often quoted by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Harrity, and Glen Beck and appears to be proud of these connections. A reliable or reputable source?

Anonymous said...

Come on, at least click on the "about us" link provided and see that this organization is founded by Fox News people. I've been through several PEG trainings and it's not at all like the rubbish in this piece.

Questioner said...

In what way is it different- which statements in the article are incorrect? Fact checking would be most helpful.

Anonymous said...

Respectfully, I'm a teacher. No joke, I'm doing my lesson plans for next week (Saturday morning). You're right, someone should definitely fact check but it's not me, I don't have that kind of time. I can tell you quickly that PEG trainers have never told me to allow students of color to come late to my class or to have lower expectations in general. It's about understanding where some black students are coming from, trying to understand their perspectives on issues, accepting that we might have differing perspectives, and starting from there. It's more a vehicle to safely talk about race issues in a society that works to avoid this discussion. They readily acknowledge other factors (socio-economics, gender, sexual orientation & gender identity, linguistics, ethnicity) but their focus is on race, on the color of our skin, the amount of melanin in our skin, and how that plays out in U.S. society. They don't discredit the other factors, they want to create a space where we can focus on this one issue, the issue that so many people feel the most discomfort discussing.

Anonymous said...


Juan Williams is Fox News and he finds PEG to be a travesty.

Anonymous said...

11:05 - are you suggesting that PPS's investment into ( PEG ) is an attempt to satisfy EAP ( Equity Advisory Panel ) and the P.H.R.C ?

Anonymous said...

What the heck is going on in the PPS? I'm a taxpayer and these policies seem extreme and not applicable to the real workplace. My company has zero tolerance for late and call offs.
8:17- please expound on your note. I watch the meetings on TV and yet they seem vague on purpose. Is the PPS welcoming to all or is their a shift towards AA centric education at the exclusion of white students?
Will this be a turning point for PPS?

Questioner said...

Pretty much everyone attending the sessions and able to report on what is actually going on, is a teacher, presumably also busy with lesson plans etc. Or not able to speak freely.

Anonymous said...

And now you're repeating the 'stupid' stuff!

PEG was a huge mistake and waste of whole lot more money; but what else is new? Hundreds of thousands after hundreds of thousands ad infinitum across consultants, consultants and more consultants.

All of the programs are to 'fix' the parents, the teachers, the students, and now the community.

Its the schools that need the 'fixing' but that will never happen under the current administration whose whole "agenda" is either placing the blame on anyone but themselves OR creating job opportunities for bright young white folks who showed some potential in high school or in AP classes.

Schools are supposed to educate the city's students for successful futures and that is the ONLY thing that PPS CANNOT seem to accomplish, unless the kids are pre-screened and selected for Sci-Tech and CAPA giving elite Pittsburghers someplace to send their elite kids!

Courageous Conversations has been a complete failure, just ask anyone who has gone to those sessions and had convoluted and corrupted conversations afterwards.

Anonymous said...


So PPS is spending a half million dollars over a four year period for training so that our teachers can feel comfortable talking to students about how much melanin is in our skin?

Anonymous said...


Is this what Barbara Sizemore had in mind when speaking of the ' glaring disparities ' that allow a large percentage of African American students to be functionally illiterate?

Anonymous said...

1:04

I'm not suggesting it, the link flat out states it in writing. The Beyond Diversity and Courageous Conversation trainings mentioned in the link are from PEG.

Anonymous said...

Has PPS or PEG identified the Pittsburgh schools that have shown progress directly related to the Courageous Conversations, Beyond Diversity strategies and practices over the past three or four years that justify continuation of the program?

Specifically, what schools? Specifically, what progress? Specifically, what practices are in place that led to substantial improvement? What is considered substantial improvement: Specifically, what research and evaluative work and data connect directly to PEG?

These kinds of questions, when asked by Board members and others, NEVER get answers?

Who is ever held accountable for the huge amounts of money going to "consultants" over 10 years with PPS student achievement dropping cumulatively over that time?

Anonymous said...


So the question becomes: Are the Advocates,EAP ( Equity Advisory Panel )etc., disillusioned with the current African American Leadership at PPS or just disgusted?

We know how Juan Williams feels about PEG. He has voiced it loud and clear.

Anonymous said...


For the Advocates and by the Advocates_____ it's called "Speaking Truth to Power."

Anonymous said...

"What the heck is going on in the PPS? I'm a taxpayer and these policies seem extreme and not applicable to the real workplace. My company has zero tolerance for late and call offs.
8:17- please expound on your note. I watch the meetings on TV and yet they seem vague on purpose. Is the PPS welcoming to all or is their a shift towards AA centric education at the exclusion of white students?
Will this be a turning point for PPS?"

What the heck is AA centric education?? Show me the white students (including my white kids that I have in PPS) who are excluded in some fundamental way. Such ignorance.

Again, NOone in PEG ever told me as a teacher to have lower standards for black students. I don't think it was a waste of money, although I'm happy that Gates paid for most of it, despite the strings attached in other areas.

There are lots of malicious things that came out of the Roosevelt and Lane administrations (RISE, poorly developed curriculum, PELAs, more) but Courageous Conversations had merit -- probably because it DIDN'T come from PPS.

Anonymous said...


9:36

If you read the link that 11:05 provides you will get a snapshot of the depth of the feelings shared by all those who advocate for the Black children of our communities and the glaring disparities that persist which they find and, rightly so unacceptable, unlawful and immoral_____you might begin to understand how Courageous Conversations is grossly inadequate in addressing the 30 year struggle for equity.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Point of information to 10:02 PM

PEG is never mentioned in the linked article ( 11:05 ) so it would be difficult for the reader to assume that Beyond Diversities and Courageous Conversations are from PEG

Anonymous said...

I have been to many of these trainings so I can say first hand that I have heard these comments at training and the article is true. We are being encouraged to separate students by color, all white people are told they are racist whether they realize it or not. Any time a teacher has pushed back or questioned the trainings they were publicly embarrassed or cut off. With the majority of our administrators being black and since they also attend the trainings with their staff no one else will say anything for fear that their bosses will create repercussions at work. In addition to creating racism PEG sterotypes police officers at each training in calling them all racist thus continuing to create a divide between the police and AA. The most common comment I've heard at each training in private conversations is that PEG is creating racism. To date, there is NO research to prove that these expensive trainings can or will lessen the racial gap. However, when you research this group will find many articles from other states who were very displeased with this company. Maybe our board should do some research before making big purchases and creating divides among their staff and students.

Anonymous said...

9:20
It is not an assumption, it is right here in the board minutes. PEG includes beyond diversity and courageous conversations training. It is item number 13 on this page below from the legislative meeting.

Legislative Meeting Committee on Education June 27, 2012
(1) Supporting Learners with Special Needs, (2) Using Data for Decision Making, (3) Reading Apprenticeship, (4) Universal Design for Learning, (5) Family Engagement and Family Literacy, (6) Successful Transitions Along the Literacy Continuum, (7) Navigating Content with English Language Learners, (8) The Literacy Design Collaborative, and (9) Building Blocks for Literacy. Elementary teachers will be required to attend 7 sessions, middle level teachers will be required to attend all 9 sessions and high school teachers required to attend 8 sessions. Funds have been allocated to pay for these services and substitute teachers will be paid out of KtO funds to cover teachers for attendance to each of the sessions. Following each session, teachers will be required to return to their schools and provide training to the rest of their staff
on newly learned content.
The operating period shall be from September 1, 2012 through June 15, 2013. The cost of this action shall be at a rate of $125 per person. The total contract amount shall not exceed $225,000 from account lines 4001-09T-2271-324 ($75,000), 4002-09T-2271-324 ($75,000), and 4003-09T-2271-324 ($75,000).
12. Center for Civic leadership (CORO) - Board authorization is requested to renew the contract with Center for Civic Leadership (CORO) Pittsburgh. CORO will create a leadership development curriculum to support Career Ladder Teachers in Pittsburgh Public Schools. CORO will also provide all materials, training and technical support for each of the proposed program activities, which fall into two categories: (1) Building and Maintaining Effective
Relationships, and (2) Family and Community Engagement. The CORO organization will work closely with the career ladder coordinators/project managers throughout the curriculum development process and implementation. Their support is necessary to augment the capacity of the district during the initial implementation of the career ladder roles. CORO brings expertise in the advancement of ethical and effective leaders who share a commitment to civic engagement. This expertise will ensure that career ladder teachers receive adequate preparation and relevant tools to support their work as teachers and leaders in the Pittsburgh
Public Schools.
The operating period shall be from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. The total cost of this action shall be at a rate of $80 per day. The total contract amount shall not exceed $50,000 from account line 121 0-16N-201 0-330.
13. Pacific Educational Group, Inc. (PEG) - Board authorization is requested to renew the contract with Pacific Education Group (PEG). As part of the work of the Empowering Effective Teachers Plan, we will work with PEG to develop and deliver coursework to support the professional development of career ladder teachers. We will also work with PEG to support the second year of the Beacon Model for racial equity transformation at The Teaching
Institutes at Pittsburgh King PreK-8 and Pittsburgh Brashear High School. More specifically, PEG will provide a 6-seminar series for Clinical Resident Instructors focused on Collaborative Action Research for Equity (CARE). Seminars will be follow-up with onsite coaching sessions. Other career ladder teachers, including Instructional Teacher Leader2s and Learning Environment Specialists will participate in a 2-day Beyond Diversity workshop as well as a 4-seminar series focused on Coaching for Racial Equity. Finally, year 2 support for the Beacon Model at Pittsburgh King PreK-8 and Pittsburgh Brashear High School will
take place in the form of regular onsite coaching and participation in the annual Summit for Courageous Conversations.
Page 5 of 21

Questioner said...

An objection teachers have is that they are required to attend the same training over and over, year after year. The cost is not just the money paid to consultants, but salary paid to those who attend the programs multiple times. As for results, the schools noted in the Board tab seem to be facing the same issues as before the training.

Anonymous said...

Check the backgrounds of many of PPS Central Office Directors, Exec. Directors, Project Managers, etc. and you will find that they are CORO, BROAD (or similar programs) graduates BUT they have very weak, short-lived, shallow and peripheral experience in the area where they have been placed at PPS. They may very well be bright, personable, young people with potential, however they lack knowledge, experience, expertise and understanding regarding the field of work that PPS expects them to lead, develop, train others in ways that effectively impact teachers and students. The results have been devastating for the bulk of students who need an education based on strategies and practices that teach skills and advance achievement which is why we send children to school.

The failure of PPS to meet basic goals with students are too frequently the ?unintended? consequences of PEG, CORO, RAND, Pearson, America's Choice, Restorative Justice, and others.

So what about the kids people? Adults are making millions but our kids NEVER will!

Anonymous said...


Your points are well taken 8:57 up until your closing sentence.

Educating our children is not purposed on their making millions but rather 'guiding' them on the path of realizing their individual potential and inspiring self-trust followed by teaching skills and advancing achievement.